How do I consult affected parties?

While you don’t have to consult anyone about your proposal, it’s a good idea to consult all ‘affected parties’ as early in the process as you can.

Affected parties are people or organisations who might be more interested in, or more affected by, your activity than the general public. They are usually your immediate neighbours, but can also include people who are farther away.

If you’re not sure who the affected parties are, or would like confirm your list, please get in touch. We can provide you with their contact details and may ask you to seek their written approval, which they provide on a purpose-specific form (PDF 134 kb). Note they need to sign the plans as well as the form.

Consultation enables you to:

give the affected parties solid information about your plans, answer their questions and help them to understand what you’re trying to achieve

find out what they think about your activity

learn whether they think it will affect them and their environment, and if so, how it will affect them

find out whether there are any problems that can be solved

get your application processed quickly

save costs and hassles in the long run.

Remember, you need to be open and honest, provide as much information about your proposal as possible, listen to any concerns, and discuss how you might address them. You’ll will need to document who you consulted and what they said in your assessment of environmental effects.